The Birches at Esopus

Don’t just visit! Call The Birches at Esopus your new home. Take a peaceful stroll and relish the views and soft breezes of the majestic Hudson River. Relax at one of the gazebos or patio areas, tastefully and strategically placed in the charming landscape.

Our unique location provides easy access to the Library, Town Hall, Restaurants and Shopping.

Don’t drive? No Worries!  We are on the Kingston City Bus line, which makes frequent daily stops outside our spacious atrium.

Amenities: Heat and Hot included; Wall-to-wall Carpet; Spacious Closets; Emergency Pulls in each Unit; Large, Secure Storage Area Per Unit; Fitness Center, with Instructor; On-site Laundry Facilities; Closed Circuit Security System; 24-hour Maintenance Service; Craft Room, Library & Game Room; Large Community Room; Media/Theater Room; Outdoor Patio with Gas Grill; Bocce Ball Court; Off-street Parking; On-site City Bus Transportation

Don’t Delay! Come join us for a tour of Ulster Park’s best kept secret — you won’t want to leave! 

The Birches at Esopus

35 Dick Williams Lane

Ulster Park, NY 12487

(845) 338-6173

]]> http://birchez.com/wp/come-join-our-community/feed/ 0 http://birchez.com/wp/homeless-vet-finds-birchez-very-accommodating/ http://birchez.com/wp/homeless-vet-finds-birchez-very-accommodating/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:32:13 +0000 admin http://birchez.com/wp/?p=1841 When a local Vietnam-era veteran found himself living his worst imagined scenario – unemployed and homeless, existing day-by-day for six long weeks in the Motel 19 – he took a gamble on his service to the country and appeared at the Birchwood Village’s Celebration of Veterans’ Open House.

The gamble paid off – Edward Del Pezzo was soon busily moving his scant belongings into a beautiful apartment in Kingston’s Birchwood Village.

Having served from 1971-74 in the U.S. Army and with the New York National Guard from 1994-98, Del Pezzo is a proud man. As such, he was initially hesitant to seek out the available assistance. But, when his job disappeared in the economic downturn, he put his pride aside and sought help with a program established by the Veteran’s Administration that helps homeless veterans.

A draftsman by trade, Ed said “the bottom fell out” for him in 2011 when his job specs changed.  Like many people struggling to survive a global economic crisis, the veteran is working to reinvent his skill sets in a changing market through retraining programs.

Working in concert with NYS Homes & Community Renewal and Albany’s Veteran’s Administration, Birchwood Village, an affordable housing community, provides quality housing to the area’s local veterans.

“The very least Vets deserve is clean, safe and affordable housing,” said Birchwood’s full-time property manager, Patrice Steigler.

New York State is particularly challenged in that it has one of the highest Veteran populations per capita and the Hudson Valley houses half that number.

Birchwood Village is designed for working families, the economy’s backbone. Earning less than the area’s median income, these families generally find housing costs eating up so much of their budget that other necessities, like food and health care, are neglected.  With rents set by NYS each year, Birchwood Village includes heat and hot water for the 2- and 3-bedroom apartments, enabling a family to make ends meet.

The complex also offers a limited number of “flats” that are handicapped accessible units.

Birchwood Village is hosting an Open House on Wed., April 25, 2012, from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Facility tours and light refreshments will be served.  If unable to attend the open house, call 845-331-8232, for a private tour and application information.

Property Manager, Patrice Steigler, welcomes you and shows off not only a three bedroom apartment, but also some of the amenities: community room and laundry room among them.

Opened in 2006, Birchwood Village is well maintained and during the  tour some potential residents remarked that the two- and three-bedroom units looked brand new! In addition to full time maintenance on site, 24/7 emergency maintenance is also provided. Heat and hot water are included in the state-capped rents.

Centrally located near the malls, major employers, schools and churches, Birchwood Village also offers a bus stop for CitiBus so residents can get around the City or connect to UCAT (Ulster County Area Transit).

If you are a Veteran, make sure to check out our Veteran Preference Policy. In addition to the townhouse, 2 story style, there are also some first floor units for handicapped accessibility.

For more information, please call 845-331-8232 for your personal tour. And you may download the preliminary application on this site (go to the Contact tab). Patrice looks forward to hearing from you.

Entrance to a 3-BR unit, dressed for the occasion.

Birchwood Village offers 2- and 3-bedroom apartments in this workforce housing community. Amenities include a

Community room features a full kitchen, internet and cable access.

For more information, call 845-331-8232. Preliminary applications may be downloaded at www.BirchwoodVillageKingston.com at the contact us tab.

Birchwood Village is designed for working families, the economy’s backbone. Earning less than the area’s median income, these families generally find housing costs eating up so much of their budget that other basic expenses, like food and health care suffer. With rents set by NYS each year, Birchwood Village includes heat and hot water for the 2- and 3-bedroom apartments, so a family can make ends meet.

Steigler said the complex also offers a limited number of “flats,” handicapped accessible units. “We truly create a community here, with 80 apartments and amenities, a great location, and bus service right in front,” she said. If you are unable to attend the open house, just call 845-331-8232 to make an appointment for your own tour and application information.

Congressman Maurice Hinchey & Fortunée Bennett.

Steve and Judy Aaron, who are responsible for this Birchez Associates community, praised those responsible for organizing the event, while delighting in the diversity of the scrumptious spread.

Bill & MaryAnn Banks

Residents Eileen McGuire & Shirley Shumate

Eileen McGuire, pictured with Shirley in the picture to the left, is president of the Residents Club at this award-winning facility.

Roseann Harominek spoke glowingly of her new life at the Birches at Esopus – as shown in the picture below, her smile speaks volumes. Many who attended were in their late 80s and 90s, fitting tribute to the aging in place philosophy of The Birches at Esopus and other Birchez Associates communities in the Hudson Valley.

Roseann Harominek

Pictured is one of two hundred Valentine cards made by The Birchez at Esopus Crafts Club.

Birches at Esopus resident and crafter Barbara Fidow shows off a card.

For the last several weeks, a dedicated group of crafters at The Birches at Esopus have handcrafted some two hundred Valentine’s Day cards. And where have they directed Cupid’s arrows? The Golden Hill Health Care Center, Ulster County’s nursing home, located off the Boulevard in Kingston. Started 65 years ago, Golden Hill provides both rehabilitation services and long-term health care.

A range of materials were creatively incorporated in these one of kind cards. Ribbons, jewels, doilies, wallpaper, whatever these clever crafters had at hand. Designs varied from whimsical to modern, something for everyone’s tastes.

According to Crafts Club member Marie Shultis, this is the third year the Esopus seniors have created Valentine’s Day cards for the seniors at Golden Hill. “If we had one thing to do over, we would have started earlier,” she said. But with a new target of 200 cards this year, their highest to date, they made it with a few days to spare.

Some Birches at Esopus Crafts Club members in the final stretch (seated: Janis Loring, Rae Skinner, Barbara Fidow, Ruby Sterling,
standing: Senior Advocate for Birchez Associates communities Alice Tipp.)

At Golden Hill, Marie Shultis tells Resident Virginia Burhans how the card was made; Ruby Sterling looks on.

On Friday, February 10th, a contingent of the crafters met with a few residents of Golden Hill to present the cards. The intent is that the cards could be used to brighten the resident’s room or to give to a loved one.

Golden Hill resident Ralph Hayner shows off his pick as Ruby Sterling and Barbara Fidow smile with approval.

As The Birches at Esopus group chatted with the residents, there was some sharing of techniques and materials used. Marie Shultis talked about some exacting measurements used in various crafts to make sure the results look as best as possible. Looking at the results, one might even say professional!

(More text below photos.)

Resident Ken Hyatt has his choice of cards presented by Janis Loring and Marie Shultis.

The Crafts Clubs keep busy year ’round at both The Birches at Esopus and The Birches at Chambers. Chambers has had two annual collaborative events knitting hats for children with cancer.

At Esopus, the crafts room has shown off holiday gifts ranging from cards, kissing balls, knitted scarves and hats, and at this time of year, lots of red cards.

Every now and then the public gets a chance to check out the crafts at The Birches at Esopus. Last year, during the Town of Esopus Fall Festival, the tour bus made a stop at this senior affordable community so interested purchasers could browse the Crafts Club’s creations. We’ll let you know when the seniors have newly created crafts to share.

Written by Anya Kamenetz, Tribune Media Services

Poughkeepsie Journal, January 9, 2012

One day, most of us are likely to have an elderly family member who needs round-the-clock care. Putting a transition plan in place now can save you significant money, time and headaches down the road. Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for the poor, pays for about half of all nursing home care in the U.S.

Diana Adams is an attorney in private practice in New York State doing eldercare law. She’s also currently applying for Medicaid for her elderly father. “If families are not prepared, the cost of long-term care is going to quickly absorb all the family’s assets,” she says. “This kind of issue is one of the reasons many middle-class people don’t end up with an inheritance.”

This column will focus on qualifying for Medicaid while protecting your assets. A future column will look at other options, such as long-term care insurance.

1) What can I keep?

When someone goes into a nursing home, he or she can retain up to $13,800 in assets. Any spouse or dependent, if still living independently, is entitled to keep his or her house and a car. On top of that, the so-called “community spouse” can also hold onto at least $21,912 and up to $109,560 of the couple’s joint assets. All of these figures increase with inflation each year and vary by state. You can also use some assets to purchase a prepaid funeral plan.

2) What might I lose?

Besides that house, car, funeral plan and sum of cash, everything else a couple owns is fair game to pay for nursing home care, which costs a median of $115,000 annually in New York state and $62,000 in Alabama. When you apply for Medicaid, the state looks back at your financial records for five years to establish that you have no further money to pay for care out of pocket. If you put the title of your home in a child’s name or transfer money into a grandchild’s college fund during that five-year look-back period, the government is entitled to take those assets. They will even take the payoff on a life insurance policy. So if you have any reason to believe that someone in your family might need care within five years, now is the best time to hire an eldercare attorney and look into setting up a Medicaid trust or other transfer of assets to try to preserve your inheritance.

3) What’s the application process like?

Most states maintain websites that give you an overview of the process. In brief, you need your Social Security number, tax returns to prove income from federal benefits or private pensions, information on your assets such as bank accounts and insurance policies, a marriage certificate (if any), proof of address such as a mortgage statement or piece of mail, and insurance and Medicare benefit cards.

4) What happens next?

Once your relative is approved for Medicaid and safely placed in care, it’s time to turn your attention to the community spouse or dependent.

Be cautious and always consult a professional who is familiar with the laws in your particular state before attempting any steps to shield assets from Medicaid, be it a trust, a transfer or a gift.

Thanks to the generosity of community supporters, Kingston NY area seniors danced the night away waiting for the 2012 ball to drop. The annual  New Year’s Eve event was held at The Hillside Manor, a leading fine dining and events facility. Host Denni Demosthenes managed to get all guests to the table despite the many attendees who arrived up to an hour early! Over 350 seniors attended and enjoyed a full dinner and dessert, dancing to both live and DJ’d music, a champagne toast and, of course, New Year’s hats and noisemakers. The music makers mixed it up with the predictable old favorites and many contemporary hits that got everyone on the floor rocking.

For the third year, the main sponsors were Birchez Associates, the Bruderhof, and the Demonthenes family which owns The Hillside Manor. Other local purveyors also helped out. For example, Adams Fair Acres Farms donated beautifully prepared (and delicious) cookie platters for each table, Deisings Bakery provided the  dinner rolls.

The smiles of the seniors were evident at the festively set tables in both the full rear ballroom and the restaurants front function room. Not to be outdone by the decor, many of the ladies were “dressed to the nines.” As one quipped, “Where else am I going to get the opportunity to get so dressed up. I love it!” Join the festivities via video (only a minute and a half in length) in which Birchez principals Steve and Judy Aaron welcome one and all.

Several political leaders stopped by to lend their support, most notably Congressman Maurice Hinchey who greeted many by name. Outgoing legislator Walter Frey and encumbent councilman Jimmy Bruno traveled from Saugerties. Majority Leader for the Kingston Common Council Tom Hoffay was in early attendance. Newly elected Alderperson Deb Brown, 9th ward Kingston, shared her thoughts on the video.

Seniors who attended and who would like to comment on the evening can contact us at birchezassociates@gmail.com. We’d love to share your thoughts as we enter 2012!

#1. August 10: Shift Away From Nursing Home Care Reveals Challenges. In the past ten or so years, there’s been a national trend away from nursing home care in favor of other forms of care, including home health care or assisted living, and this trend coupled with Medicare reimbursement cuts pose challenges to the skilled nursing industry.

#2. June 12: Number of Senior Households to Increase 35% by 2020 says Report. A report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies discusses the impact the impending wave of baby boomers will have on the housing market as they approach retirement.

#3. October 26: HARP 2.0: Obama Administration’s Revised Policy to Further Aging In Place. The Obama Administration releases a second version of its Home Affordable Refinance Program with features that could help increase monthly cashflow, among other benefits, for qualifying seniors.

#4. May 2: Senior Housing Occupancy Rates Rise, Inventory Growth Hits Record Lows During Q1 2011. The senior housing market heads toward recovery as occupancy levels rise while inventory shrinks, shifting supply and demand fundamentals.

#5. January 19: U.S. Home Remodeling Industry Could See Bull Run Start in 2011. A Joint Center for Housing Studies report points toward lower household mobility as more people choose to remodel their homes rather than move and purchase new ones.

#6. September 15: What is Holding Back New Construction in Senior Housing?. Despite the hype about the growing numbers of retirement-age baby boomers, construction starts for senior housing remain low, due primarily to difficulty in financing projects.

#7. June 21: Criticism from Congress Forces HUD to Provide More Support for Senior Housing. Congress calls out HUD on the substantial backlog of Section 232 applicants in the HUD queue, prompting the department to hire extra staff to speed up the underwriting process.

#8. September 25: Nuns Default on High End Senior Living Facility, Biggest of the Year. A senior living facility financed by the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago defaults on its municipal bonds, with blame placed on the poor economic and housing environment.

#9. September 18: Medicare Cuts Will Cripple Home Health Agencies says Report. Proposed changes to the home health prospective payment system by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services would lead to negative Medicare financial margins for more than half of all home health agencies, according to a report analyzing data from the proposal.

#10. August 23: CMS Medicare Cuts Drive Nursing Home Operators to Economic “Tipping Point”. Healthcare providers respond to the 11.1% cut to Medicare reimbursement rates, with some pointing to the industry’s already slim operating margins.

Written by Alyssa Gerace